Animals Wildlife The Difference Between Sheep and Goats When it comes to the Chinese lunar year: Is it a sheep or a goat? By Melissa Breyer Melissa Breyer Former Senior Editorial Director Hunter College F.I.T., State University of New York Cornell University Melissa Breyer is Treehugger’s former senior editorial director. Her writing and photography have been featured in The New York Times, The Guardian, National Geographic, Audubon Magazine, and elsewhere. Learn about our editorial process Updated September 7, 2024 Treehugger / Allison McAdams Animals Wildlife Pets Animal Rights Endangered Species Each new year in the Chinese lunar calendar is dedicated to one of 12 animal signs. The year of the goat ... or, wait, is it the year of the sheep? ... is one of these years. We westerners get mighty confused; “Year of the Sheep!” swear the sheep stalwarts; “Year of the Goat!” goad the goat devoted. And this is a dilemma we can likely expect every 12 years. Treehugger / Allison McAdams The problem is—and note, this isn’t a problem in China—that “yang,” which in Mandarin doesn’t specify between members of the Caprinae subfamily like “goat” and “sheep” do in English, is the word for the eighth animal in the 12-year parade of critters. Some people in China even throw rams into the mix. According to the New York Times, “Without further qualifiers, yang might mean any such hoofed animal that eats grass and bleats.” Pray-tell, the uncertainty is enough to drive the specificity seekers among us bananas. But rest assured. “Few ordinary Chinese are troubled by the sheep-goat distinction,” Xinhua, China’s main state-run news agency, said in its report on the debate. “However, the ambiguity has whipped up discussion in the West.” Treehugger / Allison McAdams In the end, we're left to take our pick ... and in the name of elucidation, we thought we'd outline the differences between the two. Will you be on Team Goat or Team Sheep? The Genes Treehugger / Allison McAdams While both hail from the subfamily Caprinae, sheep and goats diverge at the genus level and arrive as distinct species. Sheep (Ovis aries) have 54 chromosomes; goats (Capra aegagrus hircus) have 60. Sheep–goat hybrids (yes, a geep or shoat) do exist, but they're rare. Grazers Versus Browsers Treehugger / Allison McAdams Foraging method is one of the main differences between sheep and goats. Sheep are grazers; they ramble slowly eating short plants close to the ground. Goats are browsers; they look for leaves, twigs, vines, and shrubs. And, goats' agility and climbing ability allow them to attain charming positions in pursuit of their forage. “Because they browse, goats spend a lot of time investigating things. They are forever nibbling on and eating things,” Cathy Dwyer, a professor at Scotland's Rural College, tells NPR. “So they have more exploratory, investigate behavior because of their feeding style. They appear to be more interactive with the environment, and they are very engaging animals.” Personality Treehugger / Allison McAdams Because of a goat’s natural curiosity and independence, it can tend to get into more trouble than a sheep. Sheep are, yes, sheepish. They have a strong flocking instinct and become agitated when separated from their posse. A Tale of the Tails Treehugger / Allison McAdams Generally, the quickest way to distinguish between sheep and goats is to take a gander at their tails. A sheep’s tail hangs down; a goat’s tail usually points up. Treehugger / Allison McAdams What They Wear Sheep are known for their woolly coats, which require annual shearing. Goats are generally hairy and don’t require haircuts. Beards and Lips Some goats have beards; sheep don’t. But some sheep have manes. Sheep have an upper lip that's divided by a distinct philtrum; goats don’t. Horns Treehugger / Allison McAdams Most goats have horns; many sheep, but not all, naturally lack horns. Goat horns are narrower and usually straighter; sheep horns tend to be thicker and curved, looping around on the sides of their heads (like a ruminant tribute to Princess Leia).